1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the art of hand-held labelers and labeling methods.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 1,665,467 to David B. Miller dated Apr. 10, 1928 discloses a stamping device in which a pivotally mounted hammer is tripped into printing cooperation with a marking stamp.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,408,931 to Charles C. Austin dated Nov. 5, 1968 discloses a hand-held label printer in which a print head is mounted for straight line reciprocating movement. This patent discloses cocking means responsive to an actuator for moving the print head from printing to a retracted position during the cycle, a detent for holding the print head in the retracted position during a subsequent part of the cycle, and trip means responsive to the actuator at or near the end of the cycle to disengage the detent, thereby permitting a spring to snap the print head into printing position.
Published German patent application No. P 23 45 249.5-27 (2530346) of Meto International GmbH discloses a hand-held labeler having an actuating lever and a spring-urged print head lever. The spring may be cocked by swinging the actuating lever up to the point of reaching a spring force which is greater than the maximum of resistance opposed to the movement of the printing mechanism toward the platen. When this occurs, the print head will be snapped against the platen with constant force independent of the force or speed of movement of the actuator lever.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,911,817 to Werner Becker et al dated Oct 14, 1975 discloses a device for printing and dispensing labels in which a printing mechanism and a label strip advancing mechanism are actuated by movement of a secondary lever and the secondary lever is moved by a primary lever only after actuation of the primary lever to exceed a predetermined biasing force tending to maintain the secondary lever stationary.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,782,279 to Victor B. Carboni, Jr. et al dated Jan. 1, 1974 discloses a hand-held labeler having a pivotal print head, a platen, a toothed feed wheel, an actuator or trigger, a pawl and ratchet mechanism driven in response to movement of the actuator and a drive mechanism, specifically a pivoted member. The pivoted member drives the print head out of cooperation with the platen when the actuator is actuated to allow the feed wheel to advance the label web. In that printing takes place after the label is advanced, one or more partially printed labels are left in the labeler following at the end of the cycle. In accordance with an improved version of the labeler according to U.S. Pat. No. 3,782,279, the actuator drives a first lever which has a first integral gear segment. The first lever and first gear segment are disposed coaxially with respect to the feed wheel and with respect to ratchet teeth which are integral with the feed wheel. The first gear segment meshes with a second gear segment. The second gear segment is integrally connected to a second lever which holds a spring urged print head, like the print head in U.S. Pat. No. 3,782,279, out of cooperation with the platen until the proper time in the cycle. In this improved version, the label is advanced after the label is imprinted, however in both versions the user can affect the action the print head by varying the rate of operation of the actuator.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,957,562 to Paul H. Hamisch, Jr. dated May 18, 1976 discloses a labeler in which a first lever has a first gear segment which meshes with a second gear segment. The second gear segment has a second lever which drives the print head into printing cooperation with the platen.